Hermetically enclosed refrigerant compressor

ABSTRACT

The invention concerns a hermetically enclosed refrigerant compressor with a housing comprising an electrical feed-through, a connection plate ( 10 ) arranged on the outside of the housing in the area of the electrical feed-through, and a base plate ( 15 ) supporting the bottom of the housing in the gravity direction. It is endeavoured to obtain low manufacturing costs. For this purpose, the connection plate ( 10 ) and the base plate ( 15 ) are made together as one part ( 16 ).

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

Applicant hereby claims foreign priority benefits under U.S.C. § 119 from German Patent Application No. 10 2008 033 764.1 filed on Jul. 18, 2008, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns a hermetically enclosed refrigerant compressor with a housing comprising an electrical feed-through, a connection plate arranged on the outside of the housing in the area of the electrical feed-through, and a base plate supporting the bottom of the housing in the gravity direction.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Such a refrigerant compressor is known from EP 0 793 068 A1. Here, the housing is formed as a closed case comprising connectors for the connection to a refrigeration system that is to be supplied by the compressor. The electrical feed-through is made as a glass feed-through, known under the commercial name “Fusite”. The connection plate carries an electronic unit with a number of elements provided for the electrical control of an electric motor arranged inside the housing. This motor is supplied with electrical power through the electrical feed-through. The base plate is fixed at the bottom of the housing. It comprises several bores, by means of which rubber feet can be fixed to the base plate, said rubber feet supporting the refrigerant compressor in a refrigeration appliance.

A similar embodiment is known from DE 26 04 764 C3. Also here, the connection plate serves the adoption of an electrical control device and the base plate serves the purpose of supporting the bottom of the case in the gravity direction.

Hermetically enclosed refrigerant compressors are mass products, which are manufactured in large numbers. In the known case, the manufacturing requires a certain effort, which causes corresponding costs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is based on the task of providing a refrigerant compressor, which can be manufactured with low manufacturing costs.

With a hermetically enclosed refrigerant compressor as mentioned in the introduction, this task is solved in that the connection plate and the base plate are made together as one part.

Making the connection plate and the base plate as one part can reduce the costs of the manufacturing in relation to the use of two separate parts, as only one part has to be handled. The mounting of one single part is usually more cost-effective than the mounting of two separate parts. The manufacturing of a combination element comprising the connection plate and the base plate is, when disregarding a larger material consumption, usually not much more costly than the production of the connection plate alone or the base plate alone. Accordingly, the costs remain low. The logistics are simplified, as a smaller number of parts must be handled. A better accuracy of the spatial alignment of connection plate and base plate can be achieved, when the part has been fitted on the housing of the refrigerant compressor. Without negatively influencing the operational behaviour, this makes it possible to fit the electrical connection arrangement closer to the base plate or even to let it be supported by the base plate. This also permits a relatively small component height of the compressor.

Preferably, the part is made as a punched and bent part. Thus, firstly a flat sheet can be used to make the part comprising the connection plate and the base plate. The punching will provide the contours and, if required, the recesses. The bending will then change the two-dimensional embodiment to a three-dimensional structure.

Preferably, the part is only connected to the housing in the area of the connection plate. Accordingly, a connection is saved. The connection is usually stable enough to hold both the connection plate and the base plate against the housing.

It is preferred that the connection plate is welded onto the housing via several welding spots surrounding the electrical feed-through. This provides a sufficiently stable mechanical allocation between the connection plate and the housing.

In an alternative embodiment, it may be provided that the part is connected to the housing in the area of the connection plate and in the area of the base plate. This gives a reinforcement of the housing in the area of the part, so that here the housing can have a somewhat weaker design. When welded connections are used, these will have a horizontal direction in the area of the connection plate and a vertical direction in the area of the base plate (in relation to the gravity direction, when the refrigerant compressor has been mounted).

Preferably, at least one reinforcement creasing is arranged at the transition between the connection plate and the base plate. The reinforcement creasing ensures that the angle between the connection plate and the base plate, which is usually a right angle, remains stable also during loads. The arrangement of a reinforcement creasing only requires a very small additional effort.

Preferably, the base plate is broader than the connection plate, and at least one area that projects laterally over the connection plate projects from the connection plate in the direction of the housing. This ensures a very stable support of the refrigerant compressor on a base. The support can then be made so that the bend between the connection plate and the base plate is not excessively loaded.

Preferably, a hole is provided in the area. This hole is in particular located outside an opening, through which feet of an elastomeric material are guided, on which the housing is supported. This hole can be used for earthing the electronics. The electronics are then connected to the base plate. This causes reduced noise that is emitted by the electronics. The manufacturing of an additional hole can be made without significant effort.

Preferably, several flaps are bent out from the connection plate. These flaps can then be used to fix an electronic unit, which will eventually take over the control of the electrical motor inside the housing.

It is preferred that at least one flap is directed in parallel to the base plate. The connection unit can then be pushed onto the flap in parallel to the base plate and fixed on the connection plate.

In an alternative or additional solution, it may be provided that at least one flap is directed perpendicularly to the connection plate and perpendicularly to the base plate. This improves the mounting possibilities for the electronic unit. Then, the flap or flaps can be used, which is/are most favourable for the mounting of the electronic unit.

Preferably, at least one flap has a bore. A screw can be inserted in this bore to fix the electronic unit. If a self-cutting screw is used, the previous step of cutting a thread can be saved.

Preferably, at least one flap is arranged beneath an opening, which overlaps the electrical feed-through, however with a predetermined distance to the base plate. This flap can then support the electronic unit beneath the feed-through, so that a very accurate allocation of the electronic unit to the feed-through and the connections projecting therefrom is ensured.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following, the invention is described on the basis of a preferred embodiment in connection with the drawings, showing:

FIG. 1 is a hermetically enclosed refrigerant compressor with connection plate and base plate, but without electronic unit,

FIG. 2 shows the refrigerant compressor with electronic unit,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a combined part of connection plate and base plate from one point of view,

FIG. 4 shows the part from another point of view,

FIG. 5 is an alternative embodiment of the combined part from one point of view, and

FIG. 6 shows the part according to FIG. 5 from another point of view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a hermetically enclosed refrigerant compressor 1 with a housing 2 in the form of a closed case. Several connectors 3, 4, 5 project from the housing 2, through which the refrigerant can be supplied and discharged.

In a manner known per se, a compressor arrangement is arranged inside the housing 2, said compressor arrangement comprising at least one cylinder with a piston reciprocating in the cylinder. The piston is driven by an electric motor. The electric motor is supplied with electrical power from the outside, namely through an electrical feed-through 6 in the form of a glass feed-through, for example a feed-through that is available on the market under the name of “Fusite”.

The electrical feed-through 6 comprises several electrical contacts 7, 8, to which an electronic unit 9 shown schematically in FIG. 2 can be connected. The electronic unit may comprise several components, for example a thermostat, a frequency converter, a fuse etc.

To fix the electronic unit 9, a connection plate 10 is provided, which is arranged on the outside of the housing in the area of the electrical feed-through 6. The connection plate 10 is connected to the housing 2, for example by means of spot welding.

In the gravity direction, the bottom of the refrigerant compressor 1 has several feet 11, 12, which are, for example, made of rubber or another elastomer material. By means of these feet 11, 12, the refrigerant compressor 1 rests on a base, for example a bottom of a corresponding compartment of a refrigeration appliance. The feet 12 are fixed on a plate 13, which is connected to the bottom 14 of the housing 2 by means of welding.

The feet 11 in the area of the connection plate 10 are connected to a base plate 15. The connection plate 10 and the base plate 15 are made as one part, shown in an enlarged view in FIGS. 3 and 4. The part 16 is made as a punched and bent part, that is, it is made of an originally flat sheet, which has firstly been provided with several openings. In the mounted state, one opening 17 surrounds the electrical feed-through 6. Two openings 18, 19 serve the purpose of adopting screw bolts and the like, by means of which the feet 11 are fixed on the base plate 15. Two bores 20, 21 serve to accommodate screws, by means of which the electronic unit 9 is fixed to the connection plate 1. The bores 20, 21 can be made as threaded bores. However, the threads can also be made during the fixing of the electronic unit 9 by means of self-cutting screws.

After making the openings 17-21, the connection plate 10 is bent to a right angle in relation to the base plate. In this connection, several reinforcement creasings 22-24 can be provided in the area of a transition between the connection plate 10 and the base plate 15, one reinforcement creasing 23 that is arranged beneath the opening 17 having a larger width than the two reinforcement creasings 22, 24. The reinforcement creasings can be manufactured simultaneously with the bending of the connection plate 10 in relation to the base plate 15 or at another time.

Several flaps 25, 26 are bent out from the connection plate 10. These connection flaps 25, 26 are located between the reinforcement creasings 22, 23 or 23, 24. They extend in parallel to the base plate 15 and have a certain distance to the base plate 15. They are arranged beneath the opening 17 for the electronic feed-through 6 and serve the purpose of supporting the bottom of the electronic unit 9 or at least components of it in the gravity direction.

At the upper end of the connection plate 10 in the gravity direction, additional flaps 27, 28 are bent out, which comprise the bores 20, 21. Expediently, the threads in the bores 20, 21 are made after bending out the flaps, to avoid a deformation of the threads.

The base plate 15 is wider than the connection plate 10 from a point of view directed frontally to the opening 17. Accordingly, the base plate 15 has two extending areas 29, 30, which do not only extend laterally over the connection plate 10, but also extend to the rear over the connection plate 10, that is, in the direction of the housing 2 of the refrigerant compressor 1.

For the fixing of the connection plate 10 on the housing 2, several, in the present case three welding protrusions 31-33 are provided, which project in the direction of the housing 2. A spot welding connection can be made at these welding protrusions 31-33. In this connection, the welding seams 31-33 can melt together with the material of the housing 2 on the side of the connection plate 10 facing the housing 2.

If this is desired, corresponding welding spots can also be provided in the laterally extending areas 29, 30, said spots being provided for welding to the bottom 14 of the housing 2.

When mounting the part 16 at the housing 2, the alignment between the base plate 15 and the connection plate 10 can no longer be changed. For this reason, it is possible to approach the electronic unit 9 further to the base plate 15 or even to ensure that the electronic unit 9 is supported on the base plate 15. As now the space in the direction of the bottom can now be better utilised, it can be ensured that the electronic unit 9 does not extend upwards over the housing 2 in the gravity direction. Accordingly, a low total height of the refrigerant compressor 1 with electronic unit 9 can be achieved. The lower the height, the smaller the space requirement of the refrigerant compressor 1 in a refrigeration appliance, for example a refrigerator or a freezer. Accordingly, the usefull space available to the user of this refrigeration appliance will be increased.

The FIGS. 5 and 6 show a modified embodiment of a combined part of connection plate and base plate in a perspective view from two different points of view. Elements corresponding to those of FIGS. 1 to 4 have the same reference numbers.

To the rear side, the area 30 is extended somewhat over the area 29. In this extended section a hole 34 is provided. In this hole 34, for example, an earthing connection can be fixed, with which the electronic unit 9 can be earthed. This causes a reduction of disturbing noises caused by the electronic unit 9. The hole 34 lies outside the opening 19 serving the purpose of adopting screw bolts or the like, by means of which the feet 11 are fixed on the base plate 15.

Additionally, two further flaps 36, 36 are provided, which are arranged both vertically to the connection plate 10 and rectangularly to the base plate 15. For short, it can be said that the flaps 27, 28 are “horizontal” and the flaps 35, 36 are “vertical”. Depending on the kind of electronic unit 9 used, a favourable mounting opportunity can then be chosen. Expediently, either the horizontal flaps 27, 28 or the vertical flaps 35, 36 will be used to mount the electronic unit 9.

Also in the flaps 35, 36 the threads can be made by self-cutting screws, which can save the step of cutting the thread before mounting.

While the present invention has been illustrated and described with respect to a particular embodiment thereof, it should be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications to this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. 

1. A hermetically enclosed refrigerant compressor with a housing comprising an electrical feed-through, a connection plate arranged on the outside of the housing in the area of the electrical feed-through, and a base plate supporting the bottom of the housing in the gravity direction, wherein the connection plate and the base plate are made together as one part.
 2. The refrigerant compressor according to claim 1, wherein the part is made as a punched and bent part.
 3. The refrigerant compressor according to claim 1, wherein the part is only connected to the housing in the area of the connection plate.
 4. The refrigerant compressor according to claim 3, wherein the connection plate is welded onto the housing via several welding spots surrounding the electrical feed-through.
 5. The refrigerant compressor according to claim 1, wherein the part is connected to the housing in the area of the connection plate and in the area of the base plate.
 6. The refrigerant compressor according to claim 1, wherein at least one reinforcement creasing is arranged at the transition between the connection plate and the base plate.
 7. The refrigerant compressor according to claim 1, wherein the base plate is broader than the connection plate, and at least one area that projects laterally over the connection plate projects from the connection plate in the direction of the housing.
 8. The refrigerant compressor according to claim 7, wherein a hole is provided in the area.
 9. The refrigerant compressor according to claim 1, wherein several flaps are bent out from the connection plate.
 10. The refrigerant compressor according to claim 9, wherein at least one flap is directed in parallel to the base plate.
 11. The refrigerant compressor according to claim 9, wherein at least one flap is directed perpendicularly to the connection plate and perpendicularly to the base plate.
 12. The refrigerant compressor according to claim 9, wherein at least one flap has a bore.
 13. The refrigerant compressor according to claim 9, wherein at least one flap is arranged beneath an opening, which overlaps the electrical feed-through, however, with a predetermined distance to the base plate. 